Heartland Horrors
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: The Numbers Club and the Tenjo Brothers spend the day at the Amusement Park. Includes water slides, a silly Astral, and a Lightpulsar Dragon. Or is it?


**Zexal Oneshot:**

**Heartland Horrors**

**Humor**

**Yuma/Kaito T.**

**The Numbers Club and the Tenjo Brothers spend the day at the Amusement Park. Includes water slides, a silly Astral, and a Lightpulsar Dragon. Or is it?**

**(Don't own Zexal. If I did, Kaito's pride would never allow this to happen.)**

The Super Secret Number Card Investigation Club jumped for joy when summer vacation rolled about. Haruto was nearly bursting at the seams at the thought of enjoying his first summer in ages. Kaito, however, didn't look overly enthused. In fact, he seemed to get a little more troubled as summer arrived. This only increased when Yuma came to their house and suggested that the Numbers Club and the Tenjo family went to the Heartland Theme Park for a day of fun and thrills. Haruto jumped for it. Kaito, however...

"I'm not exactly feeling up to it," was the only excuse he gave them, followed by going back to his orange juice that he'd been drinking on that summer day.

"Why not, Brother?" Haruto asked in his usual high-pitched voice.

"I have work," Kaito said. He'd gotten a summer job to help out with expenses after Heartland Tower exploded. ←[The repair bills for the tower were given to Faker.]

"I thought you have Saturdays off."

"Well, I do, but-"

"Then it's settled!" Haruto interrupted his brother, jumping in the air. "Let's all go this weekend!"

"Alright!" Yuma said, jumping alongside Haruto.

Kaito merely gave in, going back to sipping his juice. There was no way his brother would listen to him now.

"ALRIGHT!" the Number Club shouted.

Everybody had shown up at the Theme Park, wearing light clothing for the big day. That included Kaito and Haruto. Kaito was wearing a grey t-shirt and black half-jacket, while Haruto was wearing his favorite blue and white striped shirt and brown shorts. Yuma wanted to laugh at Kaito's consistency in black and grey colors. But he decided to save that for later. "Okay!" he said, turning to look at all the rides. "Where should we go first?"

"Maybe something that doesn't go too fast," Haruto suggested. Kaito glared at his brother in a playful way.

Naturally, Yuma didn't hear this. Votes among them were given, and, with the exception being the Tenjo brothers, it was a unanimous vote for the Crystal View Coaster. Kaito gave a sickened look when he heard that. Haruto merely chuckled. "Do you want to sit in the back, Brother?" Haruto joked.

Kaito lowered his head. "You enjoy teasing me, don't you?" he asked.

They all went to the ride and got on. As Haruto had suggested, Kaito was in the back, several seats away from Yuma's friends. This helped as he was practically screaming for the whole ride.

Again, none of them noticed this. As soon as they got off, Kotori and Yuma were jumping with happiness, not noticing anybody else. "Hey, Yuma," Haruto said. "You might want to slow down for a minute."

"Why's that?" Yuma asked.

He got his answer very quickly. Kaito was leaning against the nearest wall, his head hung low. It looked like he was trying to regain his balance or something, but Haruto was laughing at it. "What's the matter with him?" Yuma asked.

"He'll be fine," Haruto said. "He just gets motion sick really easily on these things."

"Just give me a minute," Kaito muttered.

"I knew he was scared of the Crystal View Coaster," Yuma pointed out, "but come on."

Kaito threw Yuma a glare. "You knew that?!"

"Haruto filled us in," Yuma said, a large grin on his face.

"Haruto," Kaito said, annoyed.

"So, why IS he scared of the Crystal View Coaster?" Kotori asked curiously.

"He almost fell off of it once," Haruto said. "It totally freaked him out. Not to mention the crystals on the ceiling were a little loose."

"What?" Yuma asked. "Did he think he was going to get scratched or something?"

"His choice of words was 'impaled,'" Haruto said teasingly.

"It's not my fault," Kaito thought. "What if somebody got hit by that thing?!"

Astral, who had just gotten over his enjoyment of the coaster, then intervened. "Yuma. How about we all try the Shriek N' Slide?"

"That's a good idea!" Haruto said, pulling his brother along. "Let's go!"

Everybody else agreed. Kaito, however, merely started to smile.

The Shriek N' Slide started and ended, and everybody was drenched from the water. Kaito, instead of being sick like he was the last time, ←[Water is not included in his motion sickness] was quite content and was wringing his jacket out. ←[It was absolutely soaked.] "Kaito," Yuma said. "I don't understand it."

"Don't understand what?" Kaito asked.

"Why is it you were quiet during the Shriek N' Slide, but you were screaming during the Crystal View Coaster?"

To answer, Kaito whacked Yuma on the arm with his jacket, which had been turned into a rat's tail. Haruto walked up to Yuma and poked him a little bit. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I do believe that 'rat's tail'," Astral said, "was still very wet. I imagine his arm is in pain."

Kaito then pulled his jacket back on and grabbed the backpack that he'd brought with him. "I'll see you guys later," he said.

"Where are you going?" Haruto asked.  
Kaito gave his brother a hug, ignoring the fact that Haruto was still sopping wet. "I'll be back, okay?" he said. "I just have to do a little extra work today. I'll meet you all at the exit later."

"Okay," they all said.

Then Kaito walked away, Yuma rubbing the numbness out of his arm.

After Kaito had left, the next order of business was deciding what to do next. Several growling stomachs quickly gave them an idea and they got a quick lunch. Following that, after waiting for about thirty minutes, they all went to a new ride called "Galaxy Expedition." Like the other rides, it entered a large cavern that was designed by the workers, with two workers in costumes at the front. One of them was dressed up as a dragon of sorts, (No, not Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Kaito would have killed them.) the other was dressed up as a simple man wearing a black hood and dark, yet glittering, armor. This alone made the Club and Haruto want to get on.

The coaster was shaped like several dragons in a single file line. "This is cool," Haruto said.

"Well!" the hooded mascot said. "You seem to be prepared to enter our lair. Are you, boy?"

Haruto giggled. "You bet I am!" he said.

The hooded mascot opened the winged doors to the coaster. "Then hop on!" he said. "And don't mind my dragon. He's very friendly."

(If you could see past the bright yellow eyes of the dragon mask, you would have seen eyes rolling in annoyance.)

Haruto giggled some more as he sat down in the first cart, where the younger or shorter kids were told to be. This was done so the mascots can keep an eye on them. (Because the workers invented the ride, if anybody got hurt, they'd be in trouble.) As soon as everybody was in place, the hooded mascot spoke up again. "Now, does everybody have D-Gazers?" Those who did held their D-Gazers up. "Lightpulsar Dragon," the mascot continued, "please give the children their temporary D-Gazers."

The dragon mascot didn't seem too happy to be told what to do, but he held several D-Gazers out to the children who didn't have any. "I am the Legendary Hero, Dragonic Battler," the hooded mascot said. "This is my reptilian ally, Lightpulsar dragon." The Lightpulsar Dragon mascot gave the kids a brief bow. "The two of us have come from across the universe to be your guides on your great adventure. Just remember, don't ever leave the safe wings of your chosen dragons." (In order, the dragons were Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Darkflare Dragon, Lightpulsar Dragon, and Number 91: Thunderspark Dragon. All of the dragons could hold at least five kids.) "Like us, these innocent dragons wish to protect you," the hooded mascot continued. "But they can only do so much. So you have to stay inside their wings until the ride is over. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dragonic Battler!" the little children said.

The Lightpulsar Dragon mascot gave Dragonic Battler a huff. "Huh?" he asked. "Oh, you're right. Lightpulsar Dragon just informed me that we must begin. If we hesitate any longer, you'll miss the beauty of the adventure." (Before anybody asks, this ride is recommended for children ages 5 and up.) Dragonic Battler and Lightpulsar Dragon stood on opposite ends of little plates that were attached to the ride. "Now," Dragonic Battler continued, "activate your D-Gazers and enjoy the show!"

The ride didn't move as quickly as the others did, but that was because the guides didn't want to fall off. ←[They didn't have any seats] But the speed of the ride was definitely the last thing on a little kid's mind. About five minutes into the ride, the cavern walls were darkened, and asteroids lit up the area. All the kids, including the Numbers Club, sighed in awe. Dragonic Battler looked at the kids and laughed. "Welcome, children," he said, "to the beginning of our quest. This is Photon World, where I met Lightpulsar Dragon!"

Dragonic Battler than began to spin a tale to go with the field that they were riding through; about how he met Lightpulsar Dragon and saved the dragon from death due to heavy injuries that he suffered against his estranged brother, Darkflare Dragon. How he then befriended Lightpulsar Dragon and how the two of them began their quest to stop Darkflare Dragon. (The dragon mascot sighed in irritation at that one.) He even added how they beat Darkflare Dragon, despite the near impossible odds against them. Astral, being the naïve person he was, actually accepted what they were saying as fact. "Yuma," Astral said, "this man is amazing."

"You do realize he's only making stuff up, right?" Yuma asked. Astral's gullibility never ceased to amaze Yuma.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's only telling a story. It's not real." Yuma whispered this so as not to hurt the kids in the front.

Photon World then vanished, and in its place was large fireballs. All the kids then ducked for cover. Lightpulsar Dragon stood up, and, after clenching his right fist, growled at the fireballs. This amazed the kids, as he sounded just like a real dragon. "Don't worry, children," Dragonic Battler said. "Lightpulsar Dragon shall keep you safe. These fireballs, also known as Hinotama Soul, will never attack you so long as he's by your side. But he needs your help. His fire comes from your little cheers. So cheer for him!"

"Go, Lightpulsar Dragon!" a little kid yelled.

"Save us!" another one yelled.

Haruto gave the dragon a quick hug on his arm to give him 'strength.'

"Battle, Lightpulsar Dragon!" Astral said. (Again, he was falling for it.) You could almost see a sweat drop on the Lightpulsar Dragon's head.

The walls were then lit up with flames as Lightpulsar Dragon roared again. Then the Hinotama Souls fled in fear. "He did it!" the little kids cheered.

"We have yet to reach your world again, children," Dragonic Battler said. "We have one more enemy ahead of us." Just then, a Dragon appeared in the middle of the cavern. His scales were the opposite of Lightpulsar Dragon. "He's appeared! Darkflare Dragon!"

The kids started screaming in fear. Haruto was simply holding in his laughter. He knew as well as the next guy that the dragon standing before them was nothing more than a hologram. For the whole ride, Dragonic Battler was hiding his left arm under a cape that had been torn in half. He claimed that it was because Darkflare Dragon had eaten the other half, but in actuality, it was to hide his duel disk, the instrument he was using to call forth all the amazing sights they'd been seeing. (Which was the reason they were all told to use D-Gazers.)

Lightpulsar Dragon looked at his partner. Then he placed his scaly hand on the nearest kid's head. The blonde haired kid he'd chosen then looked up, receiving a reassuring growl from the dragon. "Do not worry, children!" Dragonic Battler said. "We shall protect you from this beast."

"_They shall not escape alive,_" Darkflare Dragon growled. "_They shall become my supper._" Haruto noticed that they were riding past some speakers. They were being scared by a recorded message.

"Not today, Darkflare Dragon!" Dragonic Battler said. [The kid inside the mascot suit almost said, 'Not today, Zurg!'] "Lightpulsar Dragon! We must protect these kids."

"Isn't he overdoing it just a little bit?" Lightpulsar Dragon thought. "And shouldn't it be 'children,' not 'kids'?" But he sighed and roared at Darkflare Dragon, clenching his fist yet again as he did so.

"Children, close your eyes!" Dragonic Battler said. "This battle should not be witnessed by children!"

Every person on the ride, including Astral and Haruto, did as they were told. Then they all heard a dragon groan. "_No. Not again. You've beaten me again? This cannot be happening! NO!"_

Despite the fact that their eyes were closed, they could all sense daylight. Then the ride stopped. "You may open your eyes now, children," Dragonic Battler said. "You are safe."

The kids all opened their eyes. Lightpulsar Dragon and Dragonic Battler were standing in front of the ride. The dragon held his hand out to the little children in the first dragon-shaped coaster. One of the kids started crying and actually jumped on the mascot. "You saved us, Lightpulsar Dragon!" he cried. "You're a hero!"

The dragon desperately wanted the child to get off. "Young child," Dragonic Battler said, removing the child from Lightpulsar's neck, "Lightpulsar Dragon is tired from his fight. You must allow him to rest."

"Oh," the boy said. "Okay." Then he got back on his feet.

"I hope you all enjoyed your adventure!" Dragonic Battler said. "We hope to see you again soon. Just remember this: while this adventure may have reached an end, there are as many adventures as there are stars in the sky!"

"Yeah!" every person on the ride yelled.

Just before the Numbers Club left the ride, Haruto stole one last glance at the mascots. Then he grinned just a little bit at Lightpulsar Dragon.

(Later, at the dressing room for the mascots.)

The Dragonic Battler entered the dressing room, followed by Lightpulsar Dragon. Removing his hood, the boy scratched at his shaggy brown hair. "Man, that was exhausting!" he groaned.

"That's only because you decided to get over-imaginative, Hiko," Lightpulsar Dragon berated him. "You didn't have to go into details for your little story."

"I know," Hiko said. "Thanks for filling in today. We might have had to cancel the grand opening without you, Kaito."

Lightpulsar Dragon then pulled his fluffy head off, revealing Kaito's blonde head. His face was slightly red, but that was due to the heat in the head if nothing else.

"Oh, yeah," Hiko continued, "wasn't that your kid brother in the Galaxy-Eyes cart? The blue-haired kid?"

"Yeah," Kaito said exhaustedly. "I'm just hoping he didn't figure me out."

"You still embarrassed about doing the mascot for today?" Hiko asked sarcastically. "You seemed kind of excited to do it when you showed up.

[That was because he just got off the Shriek N' Slide.] Kaito stood up and started getting the rest of the costume off. "I have to get going," he said. After he put the costume away, he grabbed his backpack and started for the door. "Take care."

As he left the room, Hiko looked at the door in disbelief. "Did he just tell me to take care?" he asked. "He really didn't want to do this, huh?

(At the exit of the Theme Park)

Kaito met the others at the exit just like he had promised. As soon as he could make out their outlines, he raised his hand and proceeded to wave to them. Then Haruto, noticing his brother's hand, ran over and hugged him. "Brother!" he yelled happily.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Kaito asked, his arms wrapped lightly around his brother.

"Yeah," Haruto said. "And you made a great dragon, Brother!"

[Anime sweat drop.] "He noticed?" Kaito thought.

"Haruto," Astral began, "I'm afraid I do not understand. What did you just call your brother?"

"Yeah, Haruto," Kotori said. "Clue us in."

"None of you guys noticed?!" Haruto asked, half-laughing as he did so. "He was Lightpulsar Dragon today!"

Kaito wanted to cover his brother's mouth, but his honor, if anything, kept his hands glued to his pockets.

(Later)

They all had dinner at the Tenjo family's house that day, where Faker quickly explained everything. "Kaito was working as one of the mascots for Galaxy Expedition," he said. "The park was closed for a while after the Tower blew up, so the workers wanted to pitch in and do something special for the kids."

"So that's what you've been doing for the past month!" Haruto said, pointing an accusing fork at his brother, who was trying to stay out of the conversation altogether. "You've been making kids laugh and you didn't tell me. Why didn't you fill us in when we got there?"

"I didn't exactly want to do it," Kaito said. "One of the workers called in sick yesterday, so I had to step in for her."

"What happened?" Kotori asked.

"Nothing too serious," Kaito said. "Droite just caught a bug somewhere and Gauche didn't want to leave his manager. So me and Hiko had to fill in."

"Gauche and Droite work there too?!" Yuma asked in disbelief.

"Every weekend," Faker pointed out. "They volunteered."

"That's really cool," Testuo said. "It's no wonder kids love that ride. You have pros keeping an eye on them."

"I suppose," Kaito said. Even he had to admit, Gauche was always better at making friends with kids than he was. But that didn't seem to stop the little kids from enjoying the ride regardless of the day they chose to ride it.

"So tell me, Kaito," Astral said. "When you growled, you sounded just a real dragon. How did you do that? Are you capable of throwing your voice?"  
"The furthest Brother can throw his voice is a whistle," Haruto said.

Kaito opened up his backpack and held out a wristband. "I used this," he said. The wristband had a small speaker on it, a button sitting beside it. "We recorded a dragon roar once, so all I have to do is turn the recording on at the right time, and I'm roaring."

"So that's why you clenched your fist like that all the time," Haruto said.

"That's right," Kaito said. It made him happy to know his brother was paying attention during the ride.

"That's so cool," Haruto said.

[Long pause]

"So...," Haruto continued. "What made you want to play Lightpulsar Dragon?"

"I'm going to go put away my backpack," Kaito said, making good on his improvised escape.

"Don't tell me you were embarrassed about doing it?" Haruto asked in disbelief. "Come on, it was funny." Kaito didn't answer, but Haruto could see the red on his face. "You WERE embarrassed! I knew it! I knew that's why you didn't want to be the Dragonic Battler!"

"Observation Number 25," Astral said, "it would appear that making children laugh is not always something one enjoys doing. In fact, some people would find it embarrassing."

Contrary to his observation, Kaito was tickling Haruto in his bedroom as punishment for following him.

**D.T.B: Everybody's left me! [pretends to cry.] Ah, well, to explain this little fanfic. I got the idea after reading Zexal Vol. 2 for the third time or so. As I read about all the mascots and the rides, I got to thinking, "What kind of job do you think Kaito would take?" And then I saw the word 'Galaxy' in one of the rides, but Flip didn't finish his sentence, so I improvised. And as I was writing the mascots, I was actually planning on making Kaito the guy in the hood, but then I thought turning him into the dragon would have been better. He'd refuse to be seen in public in a costume. He'd die of embarrassment. But I like the way it turned out. Totally funny. Trust me. Both me and my sister laughed at it when I read it out loud. And we usually only laugh that hard when it's THAT funny.**


End file.
